When opening the meeting, Mr Putin emphasised that Russia was very interested in the development of Russian-Italian relations. He pointed out that Italy was one of Russia's main business partners, with a trade turnover between the two countries estimated at $10 billion.
During the meeting, Mr Putin and Mr Berlusconi expressed concerns over the escalation of violence in the Middle East. They also discussed the situation in the Balkans and Afghanistan, Russia’s relations with the EU and other issues related to world and European security.